


Welcome to Plastic Beach

by amildgroove



Series: Welcome Back [2]
Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 14:36:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amildgroove/pseuds/amildgroove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Noodle returns to Plastic Beach, causing 2D to regret his methods of...coping...with her 'death.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome to Plastic Beach

**Author's Note:**

> This is "sort of" a sequel to Do It. It would definitely help if you read that one first. Anyway, this is part II of the Welcome Back series. Enjoy!

She knew she had arrived when the beauty of her surroundings retreated to the sky. The water became much darker; that tell-tale, rainbow-colored sheen floating atop the water indicative of the effects the world's largest trash collection was having to the sea around her. That oily sheen bothered her; she was used to junk accumulating in places it didn't belong—her previous home was littered with the random and obscene—but to see something once so clear, clean and pure become poisoned with everyone's filth...it made her a little sad. Kong had not been pure—no...that place had been haunted long before their arrival. But the ocean...the ocean wasn't meant for this.

She glanced toward the horizon when the junk in the water began to impede her boat's movement through the water; the bump against the hull becoming more frequent.

There it was...Plastic Beach. A Hell only Murdoc could devise...an island made from the accumulation of years of the world's shit. The rejected byproducts of human existence cluster together.

Of course Murdoc would love a place like this...

She navigated her little motor boat to the small dock she saw and cut the motor. Sighing, she tilted her head backward to appraise the island up close. She knew, without a doubt, that the faux-looking suite at the top of the island was Murdoc's domain. She let her gaze drift downward, her up-close examination failing to reveal something appealing to her.

What a dump...

Standing, she grabbed what meager belongings she had ever truly owned: a guitar case and a small duffel bag of clothes, and stepped onto the dock, making her way to the front entrance of her new Hell. She didn't stop when she heard the seagull and pelican conversing, such things weren't new to her, and instead opened the front door without preamble and went inside.

The interior of what she immediately decided was a "foyer" was filled with as much junk as the exterior of the island was. Seeing a room filled with a bunch of random crap...it disturbed her how much this place immediately felt like home. She took a moment to eye the lift up and down, hoping there was some modicum of structural integrity to the thing, before pressing the "UP" button.

She didn't want to see Murdoc first, but after so long a time working with the Satanic man, she knew she would have the advantage if she catered to his god-like ego for a moment. Afterward, things would run more smoothly.

The lift bounced and jostled her around before depositing her on the top floor. The door slid open and she was immediately barraged with vicious swearing before she had set one foot out the door.

"FACE-ACHE! I KNOOOW you are not up 'ere! You are in solitary confinement until you come to terms with tha fact tha' you are STAYING!"

"What was that about solitary confinement...Murdoc?"

She was less than pleased with the sight that greeted her when the lift door opened. Murdoc's back was to her; he sat on the floor with a menagerie of tools and puddles of oil around him. FACING her was...herself. Her own image was staring back at her with dark, lifeless eyes, an enormous hole in the forehead where Murdoc was evidently making repairs.

The sound of her voice startled the bassist, causing him to drop a tool with a curse. He whirled around to face her, unseating her lookalike with his legs and dumping her unceremoniously on the floor.

Murdoc was silent, gaping at her in utter surprise. She quirked her brow at him, as if he shouldn't have been surprised to see her. Although, she knew what he saw. A year of struggle and strife in the bowels of Hell had hardened her, popping all the bubbly parts of her personality right out of her. She always looked angry...she WAS angry...a lot more than she had been.

"Noodle?" he whispered her name so quietly, she almost didn't hear him. She scowled at hearing her name.

"Am I not called "Other Noodle"?"

Murdoc had the decency to pale at the mention of his android, but cleared his throat and scrambled to get to his feet. With each step he took to approach her, she saw his typical swagger return and his ego inflate. Her scowl deepened, she wanted to pop that ego...with a knife.

"You've no idea how relieved I am to have you here at last. I thought you wouldn't come—"

"Let me make one thing crystal clear with you before you get on that pedestal."

POP! There went his ego; his expression visibly deflating with her harsh words.

"I came for 2D. And I came for the music—NOT for you. I didn't escape from Hell just to be drug into another one. And I only found this shithole," Murdoc glared down at her viciously, "because one of your unwilling attributes to Plastic Beach gave me the address. Noodle took a step closer to the bassist, pleased when he glared down at her. Good, she wanted him to be GOOD and mad.

"Whether 2D and I stay depends on if our illustrious LEADER intends to keep us as band mates and not inferior subjects."

She spun on her heel toward the lift, uncaring and uninterested in what else Murdoc might have wanted to say. Before she could take a step, Murdoc's deep, angry laugh echoed behind her, "So then, you came for Face-Ache did yeh? Well...at least I'll have the satisfaction of knowing you came for "damaged goods." 'at boy 'asn't been right for quite some time, love. Not after your...replacement stepped in," he sneered at her, pleased with himself for something she didn't know. Noodle glared back, too eager to see 2D to care to investigate whatever bullshit Murdoc was trying to dish, "What floor is 2D on?"

She stepped onto the lift and heard him mutter, "The bottom level, where he fucking belongs."

Noodle pushed the button for that level and glared at Murdoc while the doors slid closed, satisfied that her point had been made and Murdoc's mood had been played perfectly...he had no control over her. She took a deep breath as the lift began its slow descent into the ocean wondering precisely what else had been done to her only love by that Satanic madman.

O.o.O.o.O

2D lay on his bed, staring at his ceiling and utterly...bored. Suffering from a massive migraine, nicotine deprivation, alcohol withdrawal...and boredom. He was so bored, he couldn't even be proud of himself for overcoming his fear of the presence of that stupid, lumbering whale.

Although boredom helped him overcome the fear, boredom also made him too bored to care about the lack of fear.

"Christ..." he muttered quietly to himself. He was deprived of all the things that would have made him happy: cigs, booze, pills, a keyboard, or his iPad. Murdoc had thrown a tantrum the likes of which had never been seen before when he found out 2D had written, recorded and produced an album—all behind his back. To punish him, the Satanist took away anything that would enable 2D to do such a feat again.

2D snorted to himself. There was a reason that album was labeled "The Fall".

His only form of entertainment was his loaded iPod...and of course it was dead...and Murdoc was "borrowing" his wall charger for his own iPod.

2D suddenly heard his door creak open and closed his eyes, groaning to himself. Feeling brave, he muttered aloud, "Mate, wha' do you want now?"

"I just came to say 'hello'," a familiar voice said to him.

The singer rolled his black eyes without looking at the person who came into his room, his breath whistling through the gap in his teeth, conveying his annoyance at the voice, "Yew rusty bucket of bolts, I thought I said I never wanted to see yeh again. Go find your puppet master and annoy him."

"Hmm, I'm surprised 2D. Even Murdoc gave me a nicer greeting. Not what I was expecting after escaping from Hell."

A sharp pang lanced through the singer's heart as he dared to allow himself to hope for a brief moment. It hurt...it hurt like hell to think about her.

Completely annoyed now, 2D peeked an eye at the figure of Noodle standing in his doorway. That pang shot through his heart when he saw what she was wearing: Android Noodle had only one outfit and ripped blue jeans and a t-shirt was not it. The woman quirked her brow at him...but he couldn't believe it. He wanted to...but he knew better.

"Pfft...is Murdoc playing dress-up wif yeh now Barbie?" he sneered, wishing suddenly that he could die so as not to endure the pain of seeing a fake of his love before him.

A flash of pain flitted across her face and 2D felt his heart sink again.

_Android has expressions...that's not one of them..._ She suddenly smirked at him and he saw her bottom lip disappear inside her mouth. 2D winced, absolutely hating how much his cock reacted to such a small gesture...and from an android.

Then, his heart completely stopped when her lip reappeared—

—covered in blood.

2D was out of his bed and across the room before his migraine had a chance to keep up. Android bled oil...not blood. He gripped the woman's face in his hands and ran a thumb over her lip, smearing the blood on his digit.

Without thinking, he stuck his blood-covered thumb into his mouth and sucked, relishing in the coppery taste of real blood.

"Noodle," he whispered, staring down into the eyes of a woman he was so sure he would never see again except in an imitation.

She smiled sadly at him, tears brimming in her eyes, "It's me 'D...I'm here."

2D was so overwhelmed; his migraine had the decency to simmer down to a bearable hum in the wake of such excitement. Noodle. His love.

Without giving it a second thought, the singer grabbed her face, capturing her bloody lips with his own, his tongue wasting no time in tangling with hers in a dance neither were familiar with. He couldn't help himself—he didn't care they had never kissed before. He had missed her more than he could ever begin to understand.

He kissed her for what felt like years—which still wasn't long enough—before breaking the kiss and peppering her entire face and neck with kisses. Noodle wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her.

"I missed you," she whispered quietly, as if afraid that speaking too loud would disturb their precious moment. 2D pulled away from her, searching her beautiful features for an explanation.

"How...?" he whispered, bewildered at his own luck. Luck wasn't a good friend of his. However, Bad Luck...they used to be roomies...

Noodle smiled again, but it was still sad. 2D decided he didn't like her sad smiles...he wanted to give her something to genuinely smile about.

"Hell couldn't offer me what I already had here. So I escaped."

Coupled with a dimming migraine, 2D's mind wasn't equipped to decipher what she was implying, but he didn't care. She could fill him in on the details later.

He was itching to kiss her again, to feel her soft lips against his and her tongue mingling with his, and he was about to act on his wants, when he remembered the precise reason his memory of her had been tainted for the past year...by his own doing.

"2D?"

His face was ashen, his black eyes widening and his hands going slack against her cheeks. He looked frightened, a look Noodle wasn't familiar with. 2D had always displayed an envious amount of strength and endurance when they had lived together at Kong. Noodle's heart sank, remembering what Murdoc has said to her before—

_—'at boy 'asn't been right for quite some time, love._

"'D...?"

"I...I can't," he stammered, "I don't deserve to..."

Noodle's heart broke at the sight of 2D, the only man she had ever loved, with tears in his eyes.

"2D...please. Please tell me what he did. Let me help you fix this."

2D shook his head, "S'not what Muds did, love. S'what I did."

He decided he should go ahead and tell her. He had already made up his mind that he no longer deserved her...and once he told her she would be disgusted with him and never want to be near him again. He had nothing else to lose.

He swallowed nervously, hoping the vicious temper she usually reserved for Murdoc didn't make an appearance with him. "About, uh, a year ago, I went to visit the android in her lil' closet thing."

Noodle swallowed, only imaging where this could be going, but knowing she wasn't going to like the destination.

"I did it fo' closure, yeh know? I never had a chance to say goodbye before yeh disappeared. I figured...since I was never going to see you again, I could say goodbye to your image and move on. Start healing."

The singer dropped his head in shame, his hands tightening their grip on her arms. "That...thing...seduced me. I let it...seduce me."

Noodle licked her lips, knowing she wasn't going to like what she heard next.

"When I saw her, I saw an android. But when I HEARD her speak...I heard you. I got so lost then."

Noodle bit her lip, placing her hands on his waist and giving him a gentle squeeze, encouraging him to continue. He nodded, drawing strength from her touch. He had to relish in it before she vowed to never touch him again.

"She...it...sucked me. I let it suck me off."

Noodle's eyes slid shut as her heart lurched. It was a hard pill to swallow, but she of all people couldn't be angry with him...especially taking into consideration what she was forced to do in Hell.

She looked up at him; his head was still bent, his gaze on the floor, and she could only imagine what self-deprecating thoughts he was delivering to his person.

"2D...it's ok. It's fi—"

"Uh, no. No it's not, please don't say that. I know you don't mean it."

"Actually I do, 'D. I...I can't explain yet, but trust me when I say that I was similarly tested...in Hell."

His black eyes widened, "Um...please elaborate love...I was so worried for you...I need to know you didn't suffer."

That damned sad smile crept onto her face again; she placed a hand on his cheek, standing on her toes to try and reach his lips with hers. He helped her, leaning his tall frame down and capturing her soft lips in a gentle kiss.

_The most horrendous things imaginable only happen in Hell..._

God...he didn't want her to have suffered. She pulled away from him, whispering against his mouth, "I'd be lying if I said I suffered in Hell…"

2D was slow; he knew, Noodle knew it, the world knew it. But he figured out, very quickly, that 'suffering' and 'Hell' walked the same path, holding hands, skipping and laughing along. How did she _not_ suffer?

Noodle shook her head at him, her black hair—to her shoulders now—brushing across his fingers, "It hurts to know that Murdoc was so… _eager_ , to replace me. But I cannot fault you for what you did. And I promise I will regale you with all the details later," she said quickly, cutting him off when he began to interrupt her, "but right now, I just need you. I have missed you so much, 'D."

He folded her into his arms, hugging her close to his body, his lips brushing her hair. He missed her too…God he had missed her! He hadn't known how he was going to live without her…was so sure the rest of his life was going to be spent in solitude. Confined in the basement of Plastic Beach, with nothing but the whale to keep him company.

"How did you find me?" he whispered into her hair, squeezing her closer to him. He loved the warmth that radiated from her body. Despite appearing sad and angry, she was still warm to him.

Noodle offered him a sad smile and a peck on the nose, "I heard _The Fall_ , 'D. The music was beautiful but…you sounded so sad, your voice seemed distant. I didn't know where else to look, so I thought I would start here."

She kissed him again, so grateful to have found him, so happy to just be in his arms. He kissed her back with the fervor of a year without her. He stepped backward with her, leading her toward his bed. The pair collapsed onto the bed, Noodle sidling in between his legs, her hips resting against his. 2D groaned into her mouth, his hand sliding to grip her butt and grind her into him. He wanted her, had always wanted _her_ , not some metal imitation.

Her grip on his shoulders tightened, a hiss escaping from their locked lips, sounding like a "Yesss". 2D's wandering hands found the clasp on the front of her jeans and he began to fiddle with the button, feeling encouraged as she ground herself into him with ease.

Just as the button came free from its clasp, Noodle flung herself away from the singer, standing in between his legs, lips red and swollen from his attentions to her mouth, her eyes wide…frightened. 2D stared at her, wide-eyed as well, and leaned forward to reach for her, to ask her why. Noodle stepped away from him, shaking her head.

"I can't…I can't 'D," she bit her swollen lip, her expression morphing into one of guilt, of shame. Shame for what he did. For what he allowed to happen a year ago. 2D understood and nodded, reclining back onto his bed.

"I understand, love. What I did…it's a hard thing to forgive—"

"No! No, you misunderstand, 'D," Noodle hurriedly sat next to him, placing a hand on his chest. "There is nothing to forgive, 2D. I was never angry with you, but," she bit her lip, looking away, "I…I just can't do… _that_ …yet. Not until you know."

_Oh…_

2D pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her, hugging her to him. "You know how I feel about yeh, love. How I have _felt_ about you…for a while. You tell meh when yo' heart tells yeh too."

Noodle yawned, signaling how exhausted she was from her trip across the ocean. She snuggled into his chest, drifting to sleep almost instantly, before whispering, "Soon, 2D…trust me."


End file.
